Forbidden Fruit
by Violet Gerald
Summary: [AU] Hatake Kakashi, an elite scholar and martial arts master, has been recruited as an instructor to an exclusive private academy. But what secrets are his students hiding? And why does a certain pinkhaired Honor Student seek to help him? KakaSaku later
1. Chapter 1

Well hi there! This is my first venture into fanfiction in….well….almost five years. The continuation of this story, of course, depends on my talents as gauged by all of you reading this. Please review, and don't mind some OOCness and certain facts that don't parallel the anime. This story is Alternate Universe, meaning almost anything goes.

The standard disclaimer applies: I do not own Naruto, or any of it's characters. I am simply using them for my own personal enjoyment, as I am sure the creator is mildly pleased with. If I bastardize his visions, I apologize. But don't create kick-ass characters that I don't want to fuck with and I wouldn't do it! However, certain original names and places are all taken from the top of my head, and they are mine, as is the basic outline of the story.

-------Chapter One--------

He felt so out of place.

Hatake Kakashi stood at the gate of Konoha Academy, one of the most elite schools in the country for students of great physical and mental prowess. Teenagers ran past him in their uniform colors to gather in the courtyard before the bells rang to herd them to class. He stood feeling rather uncomfortable in his jacket, knowing that it wasn't because he didn't fit in. He wasn't a student, having graduated from the Academy nearly fifteen years before.

He recalled in a blur the events of the past month. He had lost a rather nice job as an assistant principle, creative writing teacher, and Karate coach from a smaller, less dignified secondary school, when budget cuts resulted in the staff being downsized nearly two to one.

And so, his seniority on the staff didn't save him that time. Tsunade, the superintendent of schools, fired him herself. He was still stunned. He had never had another position in little over ten years. When he graduated with top honors he was asked to take the job, and he did so gratefully.

The taste was bitter in his mouth. He had sacrificed his life for his job, never once venturing into the normal bounds of social interaction, and certainly never once shirking his duties, even for the affection or concern of a co-worker. His students were his life, the Karate tournaments were the only means of travel or leisure that he ever got, besides he being one of the staff members that transformed the school from an institution full of juvenile delinquents to decent members of the community. There wasn't much left of his family, his parents having died when he was young, and most of his extended family lived in a warring country to the south. He was now and forever alone. His desk was clean so quickly that he doubted even his students knew he had left, or that they had noticed his swift departure.

Perhaps that was why he felt so out of place in a typical secondary school, where throngs of students gathered to joke and gossip before, between, and after classes. He sighed, rubbing his left eye, sure that the straight scar there unnerved a few students.

Deciding that there was no time like the present, Kakashi took a step towards a small throng of girls. He was never outside the attentions of woman, much to his dismay at times, and this was no different. One girl, a tall blonde who was still a bit too lanky for her age gave him the once over as he approached, but unlike most glances he wasn't affected. She was probably about fifteen or sixteen years old – to his thirty, it was a bit much.

"Excuse me," He began softly, putting on what he hoped wasn't a predatory smile. "May I ask you where the registration building is? I have a meeting with the Dean this morning."

A short, thin girl with dark blue hair and white eyes tucked her fingers under her chin and backed away slightly. Another girl with dark hair pulled up into pig tails on either side of her head simply regarded him curiously. Another girl with blonde hair done in an intricate array of ponytails answered him. "Over there," She pointed off to her left. "That big ugly building with the flags on it."

He bowed slightly, still smiling. "Thank you very much. Ladies," He said, turning to walk away. He heard muffled giggles and a soft gasp come from the group as he turned. Apparently, he still had that allure that drew people to him. The allure that he hadn't found welcome for the past fifteen years. And it took another bunch of prepubescent girls to make him realize exactly what he had given up for his last position.

He entered the building quietly, noticing only staff and a few students, possibly interns or runners, doing light managerial work. He approached a desk…only to have the woman there interrupt him. "Jiraiya-san will see you right away, third office down on the left" The woman pointed. Kakashi for a moment opened his mouth to ask how she knew…but thought better of it.

He knew his features were unusual, but he always hated drawing too much attention to himself. His hair had always been an unusual shade of grey, and his eyes would have been the same steele color has it not been for the accident involving his left eye when he was just ten years old. The accident that left him with mismatched features and a scar that would serve to haunt him a greater part of his childhood.

He stood in the frame of the open door, noticing the large man reclining in his chair, reading….a dirty book!

Kakashi cleared his throat. The man looked up, simply smiled, and set the book down on the desk. "Ah, there you are! You are late."

"My apologies," Kakashi drawled entering the office. Jiraiya waved at a seat, which Kakashi took gingerly. "I came across construction and decided I shouldn't jinx myself this morning."

The older man chuckled. He didn't look like the type of person who would be the headmaster at an elite academy such as Konoha, which bred geniuses and military otakus of the highest caliber, but he supposed he shouldn't be so judgmental.

"Anyway, we were supposed to start with a few sit ins, but I recently lost another instructor, so you'll be taking the position prematurely." Jiraiya stated simply, pulling a few files from his desk.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi asked.

"You'll be taking over Class 12 from Section B. They are a special case…their last instructor has recently been unable to fill the position. You understand." Jiraiya said evenly, pushing the file in his direction.

Kakashi did not. He was under the impression that he would intern with another instructor at the Academy until he completed testing to renew his teaching certificate with certification for Gifted certification, since he was previously ESOL endorsed but not Gifted specifically. From there he would move to a substitute position. He hadn't reregistered before, his career in education uncertain. But now they were giving him a class?

"Sir," Kakashi said his nervous mouth dry. "I have little to no formal teaching experience with exceptional students, having not encountered students that were specifically mentally adept at my last position. I don't think it's a good idea for me to be given such an important task so soon…"

"Nonsense!" Jiraiya smiled, reminding Kakashi more of a dog ready to pounce. "You of all people should do exceptionally with this position!" Jiraiya continued voice a little louder with specific intent to be heard. "Being a Konoha graduate and one of the most decorated to boot." He then learned forward and whispered "You'll take it if you know what's best for you."

"Sir…" Kakashi whispered.

"It's settled then! First hour they are being detained for a stunt that their class representative pulled in the cafeteria last week…you'll have time to review their files and decide the best course of action. I leave it to you." Jiraiya saluted.

Kakashi felt like a dog of the infantry, being sent to his almost certain death.

"Sir," Kakashi said, bowing slightly to the larger man before taking his information and leaving the office.

The woman at the desk gave him a simple glance and a sympathetic smile. "The conference room isn't in use this morning; you can go ahead and study in there. If you need any help let me know, I am familiar with most of the students in the school and will offer you any other information if you need it."

Kakashi nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks." She waved him down another hall, and he found the conference room easily enough – it was the only door in this particular part of the building.

He walked in to notice very bright incandescent lights as opposed to the serene glow of the fluorescent bulbs in the rest of the building, and the significant temperature drop as well. The table was simple grey steel, bolted to the floor, and the chairs were hard plastic things molded to the uninviting shape of a stiffly reclined human being. Kakashi took the nearest seat and sighed.

He glanced at the folders in his new arsenal. Profiles, Grades, and Extracurricular activities were the headings on each. He understood that other activities were strongly encouraged _and_ mandatory at Konoha, but to have a whole file dedicated to it?

He opened the first file simply labeled Profiles, and nearly fell out of his chair.

-------End--------

Ahahaha! And if you're wondering…the students I am likening to about high school sophomores, about the 13-15 year age range, depending on where in the United States you hail from. This is also not a Japanese school OR an American school, and I will not mention countries specifically since it doesn't matter and I am not going to completely make it all up. Just use your imagination.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to those who reviewed. I appreciate the feedback. Notes at the bottom!

I don't own Naruto. I just like it.

-------Chapter Two--------

It was apparent that no one had updated Class 12's files in quite a long while. The picture that hit him was that of a much younger student – perhaps ten or twelve at the oldest – but the cold red eyes staring back at him from under a curtain of dark, straggly hair was the ruggedly handsome menace Uchiha Itachi.

Kakashi was taken aback at this image before he forced himself to relax. Itachi had been just accepted to the ranks of Konoha Academy when Kakashi himself had graduated – there was no way he was in this class Itachi being ten years his junior, at least. It had to be a relative. Noticing the name Sasuke, Kakashi sighed deeply. They were probably cousins. Every member of the Uchiha house held those dangerous red eyes, and they were known far and wide for their mastery of many things, politics and marital arts alike. Kakashi knew their strength well – his mismatched eyes were a result of a gift and curse from his best friend, the long gone Uchiha Obito.

He noticed with some distaste that Sasuke held many traits similar of Itachi – moody, infinitely patient, great mental capacity, and great talent for martial arts. Sasuke apparently wasn't in as much trouble as Itachi either – his file mention involvement of at least three extra curricular groups, including Student Council.

He turned to the next profile, to see a wickedly thin young boy stare back at him with the largest eyes that he had ever seen only outdone by his ridiculously bushy brows. Rock Lee wasn't as strong a student academically, being plagued with attention deficit disorder, but apparently had been accepted to the Academy as a Karate candidate, captain of the Karate team.

He went through many other profiles – including finding the picture of the girl who had whimpered and cowered from his earlier that morning, the especially gifted Hyuuga Hinata – before hearing bells sounding. He gathered his files, a little surer of himself after going through at least the students' personal files before exiting the conference room.

The secretary (he decided that she was a secretary until he knew her actual position) waved him over. "That's the bell for second class. You class is up on the second floor, room 201."

"Thank you," Kakashi said, turning with a grateful smile.

"Hatake-san?"

Kakashi turned back to the woman at the desk.

"These students….class 12…don't take them lightly. They will do everything the can in their power to break you. They are a unique case, and don't really mingle with other students since they are kept under guards by a closed group of instructors. But don't let them take you out. I know that you can bring them around." The woman said quietly.

Kakashi raised a simple silvery brow. The woman simply blinked, suddenly sheepish. "I know of you Hatake Kakashi – how dangerous you can really be. You have to be, changing the mess called Gendou as you did. Besides, you are a Konoha graduate – that in itself gives you hope." Her young assistant glared at the secretary, before giving a worried glance to Jiraiya's door. Apparently, there was something about his position that he did not know.

Kakashi gave a little wave and a smile. "Thank you very much. I will keep that in mind." He turned and left the building, his countenance changing the moment the door clicked behind him.

He _knew_ something was fishy! He found himself glaring at nothing as he walked towards the main school building. He understood that many students of Konoha Academy were elite scholars and masters of their fields – he himself being a top Konoha grad, he wasn't surprised. But he had led a fairly nondescript life of killing behind the teaching, not only changing the lives of his students but of the community when in the heavy grips of the local Yakuza. His mastery of martial arts and depth of his spiritual self were exceptional. It was the reason he had kept his job so long, aside from staying alive. Somehow, he felt that his new friend the secretary knew that, although he wasn't sure how.

He entered the building and quickly ascended the stairs and found the first door on his left bearing the mark 201. Inside, students were being exceptionally noisy and rowdy, and he winced at the sound of what could have been a desk hitting the wall. Apparently, he was late, noticing not a single student in the halls, somehow not hearing the last bell as the tardy warning. He placed his hand on the door, took a deep breath, before swinging it wide open and taking a bold step inside.

He was not surprised that all of the students stopped what they were doing at his abrupt entrance, but was not prepared for the silence that accompanied it. Until a barrage of spit balls came at him, and the entire class breaking out into intense peals of laughter as they all hit their mark. Kakashi lowered his eyes and sighed deeper.

As he took a few steps forward the class quieted again. He noticed one young man with blazing red hair – the singly named Gaara – fling a handful of said in his direction. Kakashi dipped into his shirt and pulled up the collar, successfully avoiding the substance in his nose and eyes but his silvery hair absorbing it like water. Wouldn't that be fun to wash out later.

He continued to walk towards his desk, and noticed with some mild relief that no one else tried anything else. Suddenly, the sand in his hair began make him itch incredibly. All over. Just great.

A small girl trembled in the corner – obviously the poor substitute. Kakashi turned and gave the girl a rather toothy smile from beneath his shirt collar before turning back to the class.

"Good morning, I guess you are wondering who I am. I am your new instructor, Hatake Kakashi. I am here…well, you know why I am here. Let's be friends?" he smiled.

The class broke out into noxious laughter, nearly every student doubling over in their chairs.

"My god, the fag wants to make _friends_." A student Kakashi knew as the genius Uchiha Sasuke laughed, clutching his stomach.

"Fag?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "I'd like to hope that you weren't smoking."

As young as they were, no one got the parallel and kept laughing at Sasuke's comment instead. For a moment, Kakashi felt completely overwhelmed and outnumbered, even though his class was maybe fifteen strong.

"If you smoke, you're doing it to fast." A smug boy with a pony tail smirked, who hasn't moved from his bored and slightly annoyed position. Ah, Nara Shikamaru. A genius as well – although lazy as hell. The class erupted into even more laughter, a larger boy he remembered simply as Akimichi fell right onto the floor, causing quite a few desks to jump and the floor to shake at Kakashi's feet.

He noticed from the corner of his eye a group of girls who were not laughing. One of them, the lanky blonde from earlier that morning, sat in the front row next to her pig-tailed friend. The prodigy Hinata sat just behind the pig-tailed girl and was also dually not impressed. To the left of Hinata was a small girl with a unique shock of pick hair, kept out of her face by a simple wide headband, seemed rather bored with the show of disrespect. The girls, he sensed, were probably the head students, having quickly outgrown the boys in maturity.

"Ah, yes. I suppose it was a bit to fast." Kakashi said evenly. He took a deep breath, raised his hand, and drove it straight down at the aluminum desk, putting a sizeable dent in the scratched surface. Not only that, it served to startle the class, who had for the moment forgotten him in their felonious merriment.

"Good morning Class 12 from Section B. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have come here to replace your ill-fated instructor. I would greatly appreciate your cooperation this semester." The students simply blinked a few times, turning to look at each other, before breaking off into quiet conversations of their own. At least they weren't laughing their asses of and making a show of their new sensei.

He set his bag down on the desk. "I understand that you seem to be ignoring me." The class still seemed to ignore him. He turned towards the young substitute, who was done cowering and looking up at him with eyes hopeful and full of thankful tears, almost as if he were her hero. He supposed he had been.

"Pop Quiz!" He called out cheerfully.

The class turned to look at him. Sasuke raised his hand. "But you haven't taught us anything yet."

"This quiz is weighed very heavily towards your mid-term, which I understand is coming up soon. Your ability to pass this quiz will determine your passing score on the mid-term." He continued, turning towards the blackboard.

"Listen you half-witted old fart, you can't give us a quiz! You haven't taught us anything!" Sasuke hollered from his desk.

"Au contraire," Kakashi said, finding a piece of chalk and scratched a question on the board. "If you were listening, you would have understood that I have begun teaching you already."

Sasuke, perplexed but not ready to be outdone, stood from his seat, striding over to his teacher. "You think you can just walk in here and take over my class? I am Student Council President as well as Class 12's representative. You'll pay for usurping my authority."

Kakashi closed his left eye as he finished writing his question on the board, not turning towards the boisterous Uchiha approaching him. He felt the young man's intention of harm as simply as he were to breathe, and was not impressed by the young mans' display of bravado.

He set the piece of chalk down just as the raven-haired boy made it around his desk on his right side, and was not surprised at his fist aimed at the weak part of his ribs just under his elbow. Kakashi waited for the precise moment, gauging the boy's speed, before sweeping his right arm back and up to catch Sasuke's fist in the crook of his elbow, crouching slightly, and continuing with the motion to easily set him off balance and headfirst into the chalk board.

Sasuke countered easily enough by throwing up his other arm to deflect himself off of the chalkboard, right back at Kakashi, this time giving a little tug on his captured fist to redirect his energy into his knee for a blow that aimed to throw Kakashi into the blackboard.

Kakashi, not entirely surprised to see Sasuke's counter but unprepared for it, allowed to be pulled slightly off balance, letting go of Sasuke's fist. He realized almost too late what the Uchiha boy was aiming to do. Kakashi twisted himself so his back was facing Uchiha, exactly what the young boy wanted. Kakashi reached out to grab the railing of the blackboard with one hand, and the edge of the desk with the other, and with a slight push off threw his entire body up above Sasuke, barely missing the knee with a hand stand over the boy.

Sasuke gave Kakashi a startled glance before taking a step back, just as Kakashi had expected. Kakashi used his momentum to push himself up, his toes touching the light fixture in the ceiling, and pushing back off again, diving at Sasuke from above. Completely unprepared for the rebuttal, Kakashi's hands found Sasuke's shoulders and he used his weight to throw himself over the boy's head, sending Sasuke tumbling onto the desk, giving Kakashi enough leverage to land in a crouch by the door, his back to the once proud young man, now sprawled out over the desk.

Sasuke picked himself up gracefully, glaring at Kakashi has the teacher stood and turned. "I don't particularly appreciate that Sasuke. If you would, take your seat please. Before I destroy your chances of passing my class."

Sasuke, in a rare display of defeat, did just that. Pulling out a piece of notebook paper and a black pen, he began to scratch his name at the top. The rest of the class, slightly awed by what they had witnessed, followed suit.

Kakashi pulled the chair out from behind the desk and settled beside the desk, giving the class an unadulterated view of the question presented to them.

What is my name, simply printed for the class to ponder.

He noticed quickly many students look perplexed at the blackboard, and he fought the smile. Ah, he had already defeated them. Many students had to take a few moments, Sasuke included, but soon they all had put down their writing utensils.

"Pass them forward." Kakashi drawled, happy to see the young substitute claim the papers and hand them to him. Looking at the first test, he smiled simply at seeing the name Ino Yamanaka give the correct answer, although she spelled Kakashi wrong. The next test, blazed the name Chieko Tanaka, also gave the correct answer. Kiba Inuzuka had turned in simply "Fag". Kakashi smiled, and many students gave a sign of relief, attributing that to the fact that maybe they had gotten the question correct.

"Your test was so stupid, we easily passed." Sasuke said smugly, his spirit definitely bruised and not broken.

The bell rang. "Test results tomorrow. Class dismissed."

Everyone gave him odd looks and tried not to laugh as no one moved. Kakashi raised an eyebrow from his seat. "Have no better place to be?"

The pink-haired girl raised a hand. "Um, Hatake-san? We don't have any other classes to go to."

Kakashi had forgotten that this class was a special case. Yet not having the students in other classes was peculiar.

"So I have homeroom all day? This is infinitely more than I bargained for." He said, now at a complete loss at what to do. "Alright then, we'll go over your tests."

The bell rang again as Kakashi stood and wrote his name out on the board. "Now, why did a vast majority of you remember hearing me announce my name to the class not only once but twice, amid your ill jokes and gross humor?"

Sasuke didn't even raise his hand. "Because you repeated it, after getting our attention the second time. We didn't have a choice but to hear you."

"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you, Uchiha Sasuke, got the answer correct when Rock Lee, sitting directly behind you, did not."

Sasuke's mouth flopped up and down like a fish out of water. Kakashi smiled. "I know who you are Sasuke, I've not taken my position as instructor to your class lightly." Sasuke finally clamped his jaw shut, leveling his glare.

"Why do you suppose you answered correctly? Because I demanded your attention…or because your mind has been trained to function on multiple levels of awareness, including information subconscious to your immediate attention?"

No one had an answer to that.

Kakashi set the stack of papers down on the desk, resting his forearm against the edge. "You are the elite of Konoha. Young prodigies, masters of the institution of education and everything going on inside of it. You know when to listen and when to simply goof off, and do so quickly and effectively. You have tricked the system into thinking that you all are who you are not, by intimidating your past instructors and finding loopholes around every last piece of information fed to you. That's why most of you passed even though my name – nay, my very existence – was not force fed to your brains." He paused, gauging the students' reactions. Many girls looked sheepish, and quite a few boys huffed and grumbled at the accusation that they, great however they were, were being accused of cheating.

"I assure you, in my class from this point forward, that you will no longer be able to use these techniques. Cheating will not be tolerated, in any shape or form. I will be testing your comprehension, not just your retention. I will be gauging you on your ability, not by your feeble attempts to best mine." Kakashi finished, being sure to focus his glace to Sasuke.

He stood, tall and firm, looking out over the class, his gaze landing on every student at least once. "Today is the end of your childhood. It is the beginning of you lives."

-------End--------

Alright, I edited the footnotes in Chapter One – here is that little scene I mentioned. I got ahead of myself editing.

For those who are a bit perturbed by my writing style…I am really just having fun with this story. What fanfic author doesn't have fun with their stories? So the prospect of lengthy explanations and lots of background is a bit daunting, then just pick out the main facts and wait for later Chapters. After I get all of the back story (or most of it) out and get to the real plot, it won't be so wordy. Admit, you're a bit intrigued by Kakashi as a high school teacher. Besides, this will shape up to be a KakaSaku! Who gives a crap about their backgrounds then? So the first take isn't as original but the story it itching to be written.

You understand ;


	3. Chapter 3

Shorter than other chapters yea, but this is the filler with the beginnings of some KakaSaku, more to come later.

Naruto. I don't own it.

-------Chapter Three--------

By the end of the week, not much progress had been made. All of Kakashi's teaching experience lay with discipline and composition, and the idea of teaching the other subjects – arithmetic included – was a bit daunting.

So he started with what he knew. He decided upon a rather indirect approach – he talked to an old friend who owned a book store and had purchased (or rather, borrowed with a few Paul Galico novels and an original Grimm's Fairy Tales in mint condition as collateral) a class set of Tale of Two Cities. It was a bit of a boring read, but it was sure to get their brains to start working.

Between reading assignments and class discussions he found that the students especially loved theology and philosophy. So much as he debated not starting them on Thoreau. But they finally started understanding how to read between the lines. That of course being the direction his lessons were steering them.

Stepping into the teachers' workroom during his lunch hour one day, he was mildly surprised to see two of his students standing beside his desk. Ino and the pink-haired fireball Sakura were waiting patiently, quietly discussing something between them.

"Ino-san, Sakura-san, to what do I owe this pleasure?" He asked softly, approaching the girls.

"We're having some trouble with the material, and would appreciate some coaching." Ino started, neatly cutting off Sakura.

"You both have done exceptionally well on the pop quizzes and are active in class discussions. I can't fathom any problems, but I will help where I can." He said, waiving them towards the chairs slightly off to the side. "Sit, we'll talk."

The girls pulled up the chairs and waited for Kakashi to settle himself and retrieve a copy of the novel for himself.

"Actually," Sakura squeaked as he flipped open the paperback. "It's about…it's about your class."

Ino gave Sakura a glare. "You don't just _tell_ him!"

"And why not?" Kakashi interrupted.

Sakura sat forward, earnestly looking Kakashi in the eye – in _both_ eyes. He wasn't used to such a forward approach, mainly because of his red left-eye in contrast with his right.

"Naruto is coming back." She whispered.

Kakashi blinked. "A new student?"

"Well, not a new student. But new to you. He was sent away to study somewhere, but we heard he's coming back." Ino said, twisted a few strands of hair around her finger. "He's always in competition with Sasuke-kun, and he's always chasing us."

"I appreciate the concern girls; I'll take care of things when I get his file. I take it you don't want to be seated near him? I can rework my seating chart." Kakashi said, turning to the little computer, logging into the system.

"Our seats aren't a problem," Ino said, frustrated. "It's _Naruto_. He's creepy."

Kakashi considering this as the computer continued to boot. "I don't understand what you are asking, Ino-san."

"There's no way that you could…have him sent to another class?" Ino asked.

"I have no power over your placement that is all decided by Jiraiya-san. If Naruto is a member of your class, you will have to understand and work with him in the classroom. It is out of my control." Kakashi frowned.

Ino nodded softly. "Thank you anyway, Hatake-san." She turned, grabbing Sakura's elbow and pulling the girl up from her chair. "Come on!"

"I…I need to wait for Iruka-sensei." Sakura stammered. "I just joined Academic Games and I need to practice…"

"Suit yourself. I'll drool all over Sasuke for you!" Ino taunted, darting out of the room. Kakashi shook his head, turning towards the computer with the intent on working on his grade books.

A few moments later, he turned to see Sakura still standing in front of his desk. "Something else, Sakura-san?"

Sakura nodded. "I…I'm not sure how ask this, sensei."

"Sometimes, you have to worry less about the order of words and at least get the idea out. Then you can work on making it intelligible." He offered.

"I'd like to help." She started bluntly.

"I wasn't aware I was in need of assistance." Kakashi drawled.

"With anything. Study groups, running errands, cleaning…wherever you need the help. You don't even have to give me service points." Sakura said, leaning a hand on his desk.

"Is this a plot to avoid Naruto and his impending return?" Kakashi asked dryly. "Because I am afraid my answer would be no."

"I'm not afraid of Naruto. I don't have a problem with him. It's just that you're new and still not really used to how things go here, and I'd like to help you."

"Sakura," he said, dropping the honorific in an attempt to reason with the girl instead of order her. "I've been teaching for ten years, and I graduated from Konoha myself years ago. I appreciate your concern, and you will be the first I call on when I am lost. Thank you,"

"That's not what I mean," Sakura said.

"Then elaborate, please."

The young student sighed. "I…I just don't like reading. Especially all of this read between the lines and see the hidden meaning junk. It's not like the history text, I just can't get into it."

"The material I have chosen is difficult and boring, but you've been doing well. I am afraid I don't understand." Kakashi said, folding his hands on the desk.

"Ino gives me all the answers." She said sheepishly. "I understand it fine when I know the answers, but I can't get it for myself. "

"Have you asked Ino to tutor you instead? Or perhaps Sasuke or Shikamaru? I am sure that they would be willing to help you after school. Unless-"

"I want you to, Hatake-san." Sakura blurted out. "You're just…different. You don't make me feel stupid, you don't belittle me, and you don't expect anything of me that I can't accomplish. You're not like any of the other instructors that have come through here. They see Naruto and Sasuke and even Gaara as a threat to the system and they treat us all like we are corrupt like they are. You…you're _fair_. But tough. That's why you're still here."

Kakashi rubbed his chin, trying to make something of Sakura's speech. "How many different instructors have you had?"

Sakura blinked. "This year or…this semester?"

"Your choice," Kakashi offered.

"At least four this year, you're the second this semester." Sakura said. "Last year, we had about eight or nine."

"Why did they bring in fresh instructors instead of asking more seasoned staff to take over?" Kakashi wondered aloud. "What good would it do your class to be shuffling teachers every nine weeks?"

Sakura opened her mouth, but quickly shut it and plopped back down in her seat. "Will you tutor me? I'll be your aid in return, I don't need service points I especially don't need Ino and Ten Ten pushing all my buttons while I am trying to study."

Kakashi considered the options. On the one hand, he was glad that some of his students were taking the class more seriously, and wasn't disturbed or surprised by the admission of cheating, although Sakura obviously still didn't see it as the right thing to do. He knew that many students were sharing answers, Shikamaru the master of…well…everything. He was also the VP of student council, but didn't seem to be in leagues with Sasuke. Instead, he made friends with Chouji and was seen walking home with Ino two days that week.

Kakashi sat forward slightly, and regarded Sakura as earnestly as he could at that moment. He had many more questions that he knew she could answer – but this was not the time or place. He had discovered that talk of Class 12 was kept to a minimum. Even the secretary could not talk to him unless she was sure that no one could over hear.

"I am very busy Sakura," He said, lowering his eyes. He felt more than saw her slough in her chair, nearly defeated. "But I suppose we can help each other with that, yes?" Raising his head, a smile on his face.

"R-Really? Hatake-san? You'll tutor me?"

He nodded, still smiling. "If you are my runner third period and work as my aid sixth period. I won't take away your lunch hour fifth period."

"Oh, Hatake-san! Thank you!" Sakura jumped up, eyes bright and her entire being a smile. "We…can we start tomorrow? I want to go over the first five chapters before the first section test."

Kakashi nodded. "That sounds good. I want to start organizing a class project tomorrow; you can help me with the research after we go over section one."

Sakura nodded, and pranced out of the office. Kakashi shook his head. It felt good to raise a students' spirits like that. Sakura was a gifted student, her mind a carefully guarded tool which absorbed information readily. She had good study habits and learned quickly. She was the type of student who would make a good teacher one day, with the right pruning.

Behind him, Iruka peeked out from behind the computer at his own desk. "And I thought she was serious about joining Academic Games. She needs one more activity or she looses her scholarship."

Kakashi turned towards the voice. He had known Iruka from his Konoha days as well, although Iruka didn't graduate with any particular achievement. "You still need two activities to stay enrolled?"

"Sakura is only an Honor Student, so she has obligations to work for school events and fundraisers for multiple other programs, but she needs one more affiliation or she'll have to go back to a traditional secondary school."

"Can she do so by being a teachers' aid?" Kakashi asked.

"It will temporarily fill the assignment, either until she finds another club to join or Jiraya places her in one. Jiraiya has a soft spot for you, being new and dealing with teaching outside of your certification to save his butt, so it may be for a while yet. Or, you can petition Jiraya to have her intern under you. Chances are, she'll graduate and take a job here that way."

Kakashi nodded with understanding. That was how he himself had graduated, interning as a student aid under Yondaime, but instead of being offered a job at Konoha he was sent to a smaller, troublesome school like Gendou for a first assignment. It was in his teachers' memory that he accepted and moved into his job at the school. Yondaime had died amidst mysterious circumstances shortly before Kakashi's graduation. Well, mysterious to most everyone save Kakashi.

Kakashi stood and stretched. It was almost the end of the lunch hour, and he still hadn't eaten that day, concentration monopolized by his attempt to make it to class on time. Rubbing the healing rash on the back of his neck from Gaara's itching sand, Kakashi waved to Iruka as he left the office, venturing down to the mess hall.

-------End--------

Yes, a filler! Told you so. is evil

I am going to try to update every week, with the exception of now since I already have four or five chapter completed and then I'll tease you. Thank you all to my reviewers!

Tempus-hime: blushes I've been writing, just not fanfiction. Thankies! I just want to write more now, I really appreciate it.

Me114: I forgot that I had it set to not accept anonymous reviews. Before split the originals to FictionPress, I had lots of poems and even a portion of my original novel get spammed and stolen, so I removed that option so that the webmasters of could stop the spamming. I've already changed it back. Gomen!

And yes, I am a big fan of leafygirl, fanartist, and specifically Eris' Puppet (who almost single handedly inspired me to try my hand at fanfiction again!).I want to get more of the story out before I post it to KakaSaku LJ, specifically more of the development of their relationship, but I am going to join I promise! I have also been neglecting my LJ as well.

I didn't realize that it kinda parallels GTO…I think I like it that way. Well, looking over my outline, it doesn't look _too_ much like GTO…but it has its parallels. Unless you'd like to see more of a crossover?

Once again, thanks all!


	4. Chapter 4

Kind of short, but it's a little sneak peak of plot before I delve into some KakaSaku. This is really intertwined with the latter…ah well. I need plot development first. I mainly wanted to get this out for you guys, since I hoped to update once a week but I am off to MetroCon in Tampa Florida with multiple anime clubs this weekend and figured I should be nice and keep my word.

Also, I need some advice...there is another KakaSaku on FFnet called 'Forbidden Fruit'. It was here first, and while the plots are vastly desimilar I think that it would be the right thing to do to change the title of my fic. Any ideas?

I don't own Naruto, don't sue me. You'll get a bunch of college text books and a Pikachu pillow. Unless you really want the Pikachu pillow.

-------Chapter Four--------

Kakashi cursed as he jogged across the lawn. Being late that morning, of all mornings was not his intention. Before he had left the school the afternoon before, Uzumaki Naruto's file had been shoved into his staff mailbox, and the new student was due in his class just as the first bells tolled in the morning.

He slipped inside the registration building; he hastily signing his name and watched a weedy little man nearly pass out with the relief that Class 12's instructor was present. He threw a smile in the direction of the secretary before turning and launching himself out the door.

He ran full tilt across the courtyard, took the stairs two at a time, and actually fell in behind a boy wearing an orange jacket instead of a navy blue blazer – Naruto – just before he reached the door.

"You must be Naruto. I am Hatake Kakashi, your instructor. It's nice to meet you." Kakashi spoke up from behind.

The blonde boy turned to regard Kakashi with a surprised look. "Uhm..hi. We got a new instructor? Already? What about Koda-san?"

"I am afraid I don't know. I was assigned to your class last week. I regret that I was not expecting you, so you'll have to wait a moment while I fit you into my seating chart. Where did you used to sit?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto looked very taken aback. "Uhm…between Sasuke and Kiba…"

"Is it alright for me to place you by Kiba again? He sits by Chieko and Gaara."

"Uhm…sure, that's fine."

Kakashi smiled. "Wonderful. Let's get to class, shall we?" He reached out for the doorknob

"Wait. Not yet." Naruto interrupted.

Kakashi froze with the door knob in his hand. "Yes, Naruto?"

Naruto reached out numbly, before pulling his hand back and shoving it in his pockets. "It's nothing."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, seeing the turmoil inside the boy. "Are you sure?"

"I'll be ok." Naruto said, stepping up to the door.

Kakashi opened it and followed the golden boy inside. Many students didn't look surprised at all to see Naruto – in fact, Hinata looked absolutely enraptured – but Shikamaru simply looked in the other direction.

"I am sure you all remember Naruto. Please take your seat beside Inuzuka Kiba. I want to start right away, since I seem to be running a little late." Kakashi started, tossing his bag down onto the chair and whipping out a piece of chalk.

"Your test on section one of Tale of Two Cities, chapters one through five, is coming up next Wednesday." Kakashi said, writing the information on the board. "We'll be starting chapter five today, followed by six before you take the test. We really don't have time for an in depth review or to take a break between sections if we want to have this done and over with before midterms. Your mid term will focus mostly on this story." He finished, turning back towards the class.

"Is there something wrong with that? You'd rather I focused more on that train wreck of an algebra assignment that you all failed?" He asked, perturbed by the silence.

"Karate practice starts again tomorrow. We won't have time to study." Lee interjected boldly.

"It is your job as a student to manage your time around each of your activities. I know that Karate in important to you Lee, but so is my class. I can offer this time as a review if you like." Kakashi replied.

"What's so important about this stupid book? Unless it's a history lesson," Ten Ten spoke up.

"It serves a dual purpose," Kakashi started. "if you'd like to be enlightened. This novel is known not only for its historical accuracy concerning the time, though it is a work of fiction, but because of the foreshadowing and symbolism and the meanings underneath the words on the page."

"So we're reading the book to understand the mechanisms behind literary techniques." Shikamaru yawned. "Oh look –onomatopoeia."

"That I am glad that you understand Shikamaru, but this is more than simply acknowledging certain techniques used in composition. It is to help you read between the lines, to hear what is not readily said, to understand the circumstances before the situation arises. You need to look under the underneath." Kakashi said, tapping his temple.

"It's more than just reading," Kakashi said, moving to stand before the desk, crossing his arms and resting his foot against the aluminum frame. "It's a level of understand that you should have mastered by now. As bright as you all are, as hard as you have tried to take me out, you can't estimate the implication of foreshadowing? You can debate theology until you are blue in the face, yet you have gripes with basic arithmetic?"

The class simply hung their heads, not looking their silver-haired instructor in the eye. "You guys have so much potential – you could do everything. _Anything_. But _why_ gods are you all trying to hard to pretend like you can't?"

"That's enough, Hatake-san." Sasuke clipped coldly.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha boy. "You of all people are trying your damndest to resist me. And to what reward? That you can win brains versus brawn against your teachers, dozens as they have come and gone? Is that why Koda-san left Sasuke, because you threatened him?"

"I said, _enough_ Hatake-san!" Sasuke raised his voice. "Don't try to fix a problem that _you can't see_."

Naruto stood and grabbed Sasuke by the back of the neck. "Sasuke-bastard, you know nothing about him!"

Sasuke turned to the golden boy, ripping his jacket from the others' grip. "And what do you know? He came from a delinquent school – where people would have to worry about being someone's bitch in the bathroom. Nothing came from that. Why are you glorifying this freak of nature?"

Sasuke turned and pointed at Kakashi. "This guy – he walks into your lives and starts lecturing us all on why we suck. We don't suck! We have been singled out, ostracized, and left to rot because they are afraid of us."

"Sasuke, sit down." Kakashi said evenly.

"Why the fuck do you _care_?" Sasuke relented, dropping his accusing finger.

"It's my lot in life, don't you think, to care?" Kakashi retorted. "The progress of my students reflects on my, on my skills as a teacher. Of _course_ I care. About _me_."

Sasuke finally sat down, dropping his elbows onto the desk. "You're just like the rest of them."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Them?"

Sasuke shook his head. "You should leave here, Hatake-san. Leave here before something happens to you."

"I am not afraid of you, Uchiha Sasuke. I've dealt with members of your family clan before." Kakashi retorted, instantly feeling a tinge of pain behind his ruddish left eye.

"It's not me that you should be afraid of," Sasuke said, standing again and heading towards the door.

"Where do you think you are going?" Kakashi drawled.

"The fuck away from here," Sasuke said, closing the door behind him softly.

Kakashi's gaze was focused incredulously on the door and the figure retreating behind it. He had lost the argument – not only lost the argument, but had been thrown a curve ball completely out of his league – and he still knew nothing of what had been spoken. He debated asking Sakura during their study session after class, but the roseate girl hadn't torn her gaze from the door, worriedly biting her lip.

He turned back towards the class. "What in the hell just happened?"

He was not surprised when no one verbally answered the question. His only indication of acknowledgement was Shikamaru gingerly raising his hand.

"Yes, Shikamaru?" Kakashi said, a little harsher than he had intended. Getting him all riled up and nervous was all Sasuke had succeeded in doing.

"The opening to chapter one – the two cities across the water – is there a significance in the _two_ cities? What was the role of the English during the French Revolution that turned the focus on two different places?"

Kakashi sighed, resigning himself to the mystery.

-------End--------

Oohhh…..WTF! Have Naruto and Sasuke switched places? Perhaps. It suits my purpose, since Sasuke would most likely be involved in student council where as Naruto may have the ambition, but not the GPA. Very little actual Naruto in this story…but he does play a key role later when Kakashi starts figuring stuff out. I bring out a little more of the lesser characters, Rock Lee actually become a focal point (nice guy pose) in a chapter and of course Sakura and Kakashi!

I seem to be a fig fan of subtle character support…I mean come on I have the class analyzing Tale of Two Cities for crying out loud. The book's plot actually will work itself into my plot. Whee! No plot holes to suck me up yet! If you haven't figured it out yet, I have a very complex and deep writing style…and I hate foreshadowing.

As for the not-so-subtle change in writing style, it was meant to reflect the slight emotional confusion of the characters as well as work into Kakashi's mind finally working to understanding exactly what is going on around him…I will slowly revert back once the plot smoothes itself out. It's a skill I picked up that has done me well in prose writing circles.

Ah...reviews!

**Eris' Puppet** - OMGWTFBBQ! I love you ;; Thank you so much. Original? There's at least one other AU concerning Kakashi a high school teacher on FFnet...but it isn't very good. As for Naruto giving Ino the jeebees...well, we find out why later. Yes, it's tied into my super secret plot! Muwahaha! cough I am alright now. Like I mention in reply to Me114 in Chapter 2's notes, it has some parallels with GTO. If that helps any.

**Me114** - You made my day! Kakashi is not wearing a mask (have fun with it ), and I forgot that MOST of the rookie 9 are in Class 12...I had to kick out Temari thanks to age (I am trying to keep it proporational), she made a cameo in Chapter One (think of the ganguro girl who directed Kakashi...yea, that's her!), and does come into the story later. And so the rookie 9 are all there minus Temari! I did add a few original characters...not even elite Gifted classes are 8-9 students...but with the exception of Chieko and Maya they are't featured at all. Each character will be given a small spotlight in the story somewhere, much like the anime. I don't work with Kimimaru or Kabuto in this, but Haku and Zabuza both have cameos later, as well as a few other favorites (Iruka gets more love, too). I also hunted to try to find some type of reference to Yondaime's name...but I'll make up one! He's...Kazuma Yondaime-sensei! Yea! (Almost said Kenshin Yondaime Oo;) You later find out more about Kakashi's double life.

**Lalathepanda** - I read Tale of Two Cities in my Gifted English Honors Class freshman year of high school a good...oh...5 years ago now (you maka me feel oooooold wink ). I picked it mainly because it fits with my plot, I knew the story, and it makes sense for Kakashi to allude to it. I don't go indepth with novel (dear god I had to psycho-analyze it and I don't miss it) but I do mention the parallels in passing. And it would be too hard to have them actually go through Thoreau. Although I debated Hemmingway...and Poe...but Dickens works. Also thank you for your review!


	5. Chapter 5

Yay, more plot development and confusion! You know you love it ; Definite KakaSaku beginnings in the next chapter You have been warned!

Fun with Naruto, no ownage.

-------Chapter Five--------

Kakashi sighed as the bell finally rang, signaling freedom for the inhabitants of Konoha's walls. His students looked up at him with doe eyes, waiting for his approval. Kakashi had long engrained into their minds that only Kakashi were to dismiss them. Deciding that there had been enough turmoil for the day, Kakashi simply nodded once to release them from Kakashi time. That was all they needed.

What hadn't already been shoved into empty bags was simply scooped up and hauled out of the classroom. Even students like Hinata, who was usually more than willing to wait out the mad rush, was one of the first out the door. No one seemed to notice the slacked movements of Haruno Sakura as she packed her things, but made no move for the door.

Kakashi turned to erase the day's work from the blackboard, frighteningly aware of Sakura's presence. The school girl left her things at her desk, but approached his slowly. She stopped before it, hands clasped in front of her. Kakashi gazed at the girl from over his left shoulder, slightly surprised by her show of passive resistance. Sakura, as he found out, with her fiery temper and quick wit, was not one to be dominated.

"Was my lesson today helpful?" he began. There was no reason to outright ask the girl what had occurred earlier that day, as it hadn't been brought back up since the time of Sasuke's departure. He doubted that any of the students had forgotten the argument, but it was apparent that it was not expected.

Sakura was silent.

Kakashi turned and sat at his desk, hands folded before him, imitating the young girls' pose.

"Aa, so that's how it is." He sighed, lowering his head.

Sakura blinked. "Hatake-san?"

"If it sucked so badly, why wasn't I informed?" He asked simply.

"It…it didn't suck! Really! I took good notes and I feel better about the test. I appreciate it, even if you didn't do it just for me." Sakura blurted in her usual superfluous manner.

Kakashi raised his head with a smile. "That is good to hear." He was glad to have gotten a word or two out of the girl as she hadn't said much at all that day, not even in open discussion. He was afraid to admit that he missed her voice amidst the chatter that day.

"You…You are stroking your ego!" Sakura exclaimed. Kakashi laughed at the dogged remark. "You're just flustered because Sasuke managed to finally beat you." She muttered hotly.

"Who remains the victor when one is left on the battlefield?" Kakashi asked quizzically.

"So one who turns his back to war to save the wounded is a traitor?" She retorted quickly, a hard edge to her normally lilt voice. Kakashi pondered her statement for a moment. "Aa. Naïve. Nevertheless, touché."

"He was holding back," Sakura said, waving her hand towards the door – presumably towards wherever Sasuke was currently hiding. "Why else do you think he just left like that? You're the first instructor in a long time to actually treat us like students instead of discarded trash; he didn't _want_ to disrespect you. So instead of letting his anger get out of control, he just saved you a lot of trouble."

"Sasuke is the protector of the class? How romantic," Kakashi exclaimed, feigning shock. "I always pinned him as the angst ridden young boy who's duty to his family was only masked by the fear and loathing of an older brother and his less than legal moonlight activities."

Sakura's eyes went wide for a moment before she composed herself. Kakashi knew he had hit a nerve with Uchiha, but Sakura all but confirmed it with a tense glare.

With what little he knew about Itachi when the boy transferred to Konoha in the sixth grade (the year Kakashi himself graduated) the elder Uchiha had already gained a reputation as a bully and thug. It seemed that the Uchiha clan was rather disgraced by him, quietly paying off the school for what ever damages he had incurred and never once setting foot on campus to claim him, sending security and service instead.

"I am way in over my head?" Kakashi questioned, subtly communicating to Sakura that her slip had not gone unnoticed.

"Sasuke said you had no reason to fear him, and he's right."

"And so who should I be worried about?"

The door opened suddenly, Sakura jumping out of her skin with a startled yelp. A runner from the main office poked her head into the room. "Hatake Kakashi-sensei?" She asked.

"Ah, I am." He motioned.

"Jiraiya-san would like to see you in his office right away," The girl said, before retreating as abruptly as she had appeared.

Kakashi turned to Sakura, a light smile upon his lips. He wasn't in a very good mood now, having been completely outclassed by two of his students, and hoped that he didn't betray that in his smile. "I apologize Sakura, another time? Tomorrow again after class?"

Sakura nodded, deftly turning away from her teacher to gather her things. Kakashi stood and tossed his jacket over his shoulder just as Sakura bounded up to him again. He blinked at the girl for a moment, unsure of her actions. She pulled an envelope out of her pocket, and shoved it into a pocket in his jacket before bolting for the door.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called, but she was already gone, the door coming back to hit the frame in a violent show of her haste. He glanced at the envelope briefly, it was a regular mailing envelope and contained many small scraps of paper. Deciding it was better to wait to discover the secrets it contained, he quickly jogged down the stairs towards the registrations building and unfortunately to an irate Jiraiya.

The principal was fuming at his desk, hollering to the secretaries outside from his desk. His face was tense and unreadable; his nervous displays serving more to annoy Kakashi as he debated reaching out and slapping the fingers that were drumming heavily on the desk. Kakashi mused that if his hair wasn't already a shock of near white, it would have changed so with his demeanor.

"It's an _outrage_!" Jiraiya hollered again over Kakashi's head, a flustered aid dropping the fresh stack of copies as she passed. "What made him think he could just _quit on me like that_!"

"I am sure that there is a perfectly logical explanation for all of this, Jiraiya-san." Kakashi said evenly, trying also to maintain a blasé exterior. "Most people have familial or emotional ties, not many are alone in the world as we are."

"Are you sympathizing with a deserter, Hatake!" Jiraiya jumped at him from over the desk. Kakashi simply leaned back to avoid the puffs of putrid breath from berating his face.

"Not at all," Kakashi said, pressing his finger tips together before his face. "I was merely stating that many calls of human nature – including the desire to feel needed, wanted, loved – may have influenced a rash decision." Inwardly he sighed – he had probably narrowly avoided losing his job again!

"Yes, I suppose that you are right." Jiraiya clapped his hand down on the desk. "That settles it then! You will be the new Karate team coach!"

Kakashi fell out of the chair.

"Hatake-san, I am overjoyed that you are so flattened! I mean, flattered." Jiraiya barked with a feral grin.

Kakashi weakly climbed back into his seat, his eyes not betraying the panic he felt deep inside. "I would rather with that I not be involved with the Karate team sir. I coached the team at Gendou my entire time there and I think I need a break."

Jiraiya threw his hand out, somehow slamming the door to his office shut. Kakashi turned in his chair to blink at the larger man. Jiraiya rested his elbows on the desk, leveling a clandestine glare in his general direction.

"I know about Yondaime. I know about you and Uchiha and how they died. I know why you were sent to Gendou and every-"punctuated with a finger roughly being stabbed in his direction "little-"another jerk of the thick finger "thing-" a final jerk of the finger "that happened."

Kakashi sat straighten, dropping his attempted feign of innocence, leveling a glare in return at the principal. "Then you will also understand why I decline the position."

Inside, Kakashi's mind was reeling. How in the hell did Jiraiya know about things like that? It was a secret he had hoped that was kept secret from many, which is why men with no attachments were sent up against the Yakuza. Sarutobi, the superintendent who had died to leave the position to Tsunade, had also died under similar sketchy circumstances dealing with that particular group. Tsunade swore upon her life that she would not reveal any of the goings on to anyone else. Unless…

Tsunade always had her ways of getting information, some less wholesome than others. They were mostly men that she had met in the gambling circles, she admitted drunkenly once to Kakashi. But they were reliable, good at what they did, and never spoke of what had occurred to anyone other than herself and their cohorts.

Jiraiya sighed, suddenly looking very much like a broken man. "I have nothing left, Kakashi. I can't petition to Tsunade to send more teachers when there are none. There is a shortage and nothing is remedying the problem. I need this favor from you. At least until I can get someone else in here."

Kakashi sighed. "I want a roster of everyone on the team and their standing in competition. I want at least three days a week I can spend with them. The other two days are for my aide and I to work on articles for Class 12."

"Haruno Sakura. Cute girl. Very bright. Hot temper. Ambitious. Determined." Jiraiya smiled. "_Very_ cute girl."

Kakashi gulped. The damn perverted man, aside from reading dirty novels, was also interested in younger women! Although for some reason the idea didn't strike him as inappropriate, just unseemly. "Yes, and I was hoping that she could stay as my aide as long as I required her assistance."

Jiraiya gave Kakashi a long measured look. He suddenly grinned, clapping his hand down on the desk again. "Then it is done! See Mizumi at the desk for the files, she'll have to pull them from individual classes for you. Their first practice is later today in the gym. You have a change of clothing?"

Kakashi glanced down at himself. A nice but worn pair of dress loafers and khaki slacks, a white dress shirt over a wife beater and a black blazer. Well, he could ditch the blazer. He had performed in worse, and considering he didn't have the time or the desire to race back to his home to gather more suitable clothing, decided that there wasn't much to be rehearsed on the first practice day of the season.

"Yes, I have everything covered." Nice, smooth way to avoid answering the question and possibly being passed off some old lost gym clothes from last semester in something remotely close to this size.

Jiraiya stood, the door swinging open with strange force again, he extended his hand to the suddenly tired instructor. "I have faith in you, Hatake-san." And with that Jiraiya sat again and turned to his computer screen, ignoring the silver haired man.

Kakashi collected his bag and exited the small office, exhaling a shaky breath. A feeling deep in his gut told him that this was only the beginning of a very long semester.

-------End--------

Meanwhile, somewhere in Japan, a certain manga-ka wakes up from a very, very bad dream.

Obviously, I left it open for KakaSaku drabble in the next few chapters. We also get our next character spotlight (drum roll) … ROCK LEE! Kinda.

And review!

**Xoni Newcomer** - I've always wondered...what is cannon Kakashi? His personality is never discovered indept like Sakura's, or overly analyzed like Naruto, making him very, very hard to write. I do see Kakashi as a privately angsty soul, veiling his emotions behind multiple masks, careful not to let anyone in too close. Maybe that's just what I got after reading Kakashi Gaiden. I kinda like the way he is here as well...even the GTK crack that Me114 came up with that still has me giggling like a schoolgirl...but I think later I may start writing a bit different as the tone of the story changes.

**LaLa The Panda** - I hope I finally got the underscore to work in FFnet. My friends (espesially my BF) find KakaSaku a creepy pairing...but considering Japanese social structures and Kakashi's pose in the anime...I can see it. And I like it. It's not unnatural or even frowned upon in Japan for adults to date teenage girls, espesially if they are teachers. In most cases, it's seen as a fostering love or social experience that gives a child a different perspective and allows for her to make better decisions in the future. Same with lesbianism (a justification for every best friend who ever loved her best friend, such as Tomoyo/Sakura in CCS). I read that in a book somewhere when I was doing a report on Bushio and how it influenced modern Japanese culture as my senior exit project last year and I forget where I cited that from. I wishI still had that report. Oh well. There's even some reference to it in Outpost Nine if you read Azreal...if not then I suggest that you do read it!

**Me114** - Funny you should mention that...Kakashi is always late, I just kinda made that horrible assumption that everyone understood that. But I am too lazy to even go back and change this for now (maybe later tho), and I also don't think you'd care much for a bad grammar rant Maybe once I have most of it out then I can work on my mistakes.So for a first fic in the virtual beta stage...I am not too worried about it. It's amazing that I have't missed more being my own beta.Kakashi has a habit of being late in my stories too...although espesially and almost exclusively in the mornings and for important events.

**Eris' Puppet** - Sasuke is kind of a little jerk...he redeems himself later. And we find out the school is really a little screwed up. Actually, the plot is shaping up to be a little more like Tenjou Tenge than GTO. Kakashi is generally OOC...but I had to put that quote in somewhere. I take quite a few liberties with characters here since it is AU and since I read the manga more than watch the anime (sadly, I lost all of my eps) so some of my theories may be a little out of place. I am glad that I still have the lure that I do. Thankies!

You also have to keep in mind that technically I did away with the bloodline limit, since I have Sasuke with consantly open Sharingans (I mention his red eyes, like Kakashi's sharingan).Same with the Byakuugan. Although I haven't even mentioned Neji's existance aside from the fact that he's one of the next character to get a spotlight..eep! Well, he's always kinda quiet...that's justification enough. I don't focus much on Hinata either...both of their characters are pretty vague. Although I may sneak in a little NaruHina? Maybe.

Thanks so much everyone!


	6. Chapter 6

Ah, my slight Rock Lee spotlight! Nothing much, another filler chapter (oh yea I am so evil) before I delve more into the plot.

I don't own Naruto. Although I certainly wish I did. And I am sooo sorry for not updating! You guys get two chappies for mylapse. I still failed chemstry ( sob I am anEnglish major for a reason!)

-------Chapter Six--------

Cracking open the door, greeted with eerie silence, Kakashi finally ventured into the gymnasium to the bewildered look of about eight boys. Most of them, Sasuke and Lee included, were from Class 12. There were two other boys from Class 9, but their skills weren't as impressive as many of his students. He had read over their files, rather impressed with the team, and decided that he needed confirmation of how good they really were.

Kakashi let a small smile adorn his thin lips. Sasuke had almost single handedly won his team district championships the year before after Lee suffered multiple fractures and contusions in a brutal match that had gone awry, making the team eligible for state. They were forced to withdraw when the trip wasn't in the budget thanks to the burning of the original registration building. The team had been slightly disgruntled ever since.

He approached the set of bleachers across the gym from the team, dropping his bag and tossing off his jacket. He turned and sauntered to the center of the gym, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked out over his students.

"Yo," he vocalized.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, deadpan. Kakashi grinded his teeth. Apparently, the boy was still testing him. Well, two could play that game.

"Many of you know me – Hatake Kakashi. I have been…" he paused, tilting his head to one side. "…chosen…as your Karate instructor this season. Ganbatte, ne?"

Sasuke crossed his arms, slumping where he sat. "Ok, fine, I give up."

Kakashi blinked at the quizzical remark. Give up? Give up on what?

"You all know each other and I have read over your files, aside from knowing most of you from Class 12, so I don't suspect that there will be any problems."

The group warily glanced at each other. Sure, they had seen Kakashi toss Sasuke on his face the first day of his class, but they were probably not convinced that the tall, slim man could effectively coach their team.

"I want to gauge your abilities one by one, just incase something in your files were being embellished." Kakashi stated. "Yes, that means you spar with me. If it's not your turn, I want you to analyze the different approaches each of your comrades has, as well as their strengths and weaknesses."

Kakashi sighed. Here came the fun part. "I want number 6 – Inuzuka Kiba."

The wolfish looking young man bounded down the bleachers, walking towards Kakashi with a feral grace. Without hesitation, he stepped slightly to his left and tossed an elbow towards' Kakashi's ribs. Kakashi side stepped and slid his ankle behind Kiba's to trip him. He was rewarded with a curse as the boy caught himself with his hands, doing a neat handstand to avoid any harm to him self.

"Very good," Kakashi muttered. "But I want to test your speed as well as your reflexes." Kakashi's eyes hardened as he took a step towards Kiba, the young man instinctively raised his arms to his face. Kakashi feinted to the left – Kiba was right handed – and reached out with his right hand to knock him in the shoulder with the heel of his hand, throwing Kiba again off balance.

Straightening behind Kiba, Kakashi gave him a reassuring smile. "Balance and speed are not your best friends. Next, Takahashi Go!"

A mousy looking little boy sauntered his way through the bleachers to give Kiba a handshake half way before standing before the silvered man. Instead of coming right at him, Go stood at attention, giving Kakashi a slight bow, before sliding into a defensive stance. Go was much more aware of Kakashi as a threat and certainly not as bold as Kiba, but he went down hard on his rump when Kakashi dove at him with his left hand before him, turning on a fulcrum at the last possible moment, tossing Go aside like a rag doll as the boy thought he had an opening on Kakashi's midsection.

Kakashi systematically knocked down and analyzed two more students – Nara Shikamaru and Aburame Shino – before turning to see none other than Rock Lee descend the bleachers. Kakashi smirked.

"Uchiha Sasuke."

"You will engage me." Lee said coldly.

Kakashi was taken a back. This from the young man who was always rattling about youth, friendship, and purity? Who bowed to purge all evil from the world with the power of hard work? Kakashi, for a change, took a defensive stance, standing tall with one hand before him, fingertips aimed at the ceiling, perpendicular to his brows.

Lee extended one hand palm up, the other hand behind his back and stood with tension burning in his eyes. Kakashi warily watched the ebony trussed boy, looking for any give in posture, stance, or technique. So far, there had been none. Kakashi smiled inwardly. There was a reason why Lee was the captain of the team, and an opponent feared by other schools.

Kakashi broke stance first, looking to see if he could fluster the boy. Sidestepping and turning on the balls of his feet he was about to use his height to his advantage only to notice that Lee was no longer behind him. Kakashi realized his mistake and pitched himself backwards, catching himself with his palms to the floor belly up just as a kick that was originally aimed for his mid-section missed.

Lee didn't miss a beat. As soon as he realized that his instructor had dropped to a uncomfortable balance on bent limbs and shifted his weight, bearing an elbow down on Kakashi's stomach. Unable to absorb a shot at his solar plexus, Kakashi let himself fall to the gymnasium floor, Lee's weight still upon him.

Twisting to hook his leg around Lee's, he managed to pin Lee's leg with his own. Both of them now unable to pull themselves from the floor they resorted to dirty tactics – grappling.

Lee started by reaching back to grab Kakashi on either side of his head, dragging his neck around at a painful angle. Kakashi let Lee have the upper hand. Lee did a neat backwards leap over Kakashi's head when his instructor let go of his leg, also letting go of Kakashi's head. Kakashi lifted himself lightly off the floor to sweep out both legs in the direction of Rock Lee's stance. Lee neatly stepped over Kakashi's feet.

Lee had not overcompensation and jumped over the swinging limbs. That left Kakashi as a huge disadvantage for his next attack, which was to throw his legs up and catch Lee in a hold while trying to regain in balance. Thanks to the subtle move, Kakashi had too much momentum and Lee's balance was perfectly settled.

Kakashi extended a hand to careen himself away from Lee. Unfortunately his wrist slipped on the polished gymnasium floor and landed him painfully on his hip, twisting his left wrist at an unnatural angle. Kakashi let out a pained gasp before allowing himself to crumble to the floor.

Using his other hand to push up and stand, he was not surprised to see Lee standing before him. The normally braggadocio exterior was now calm and collected as Lee smiled. "Thank you for your time, sensei. I enjoyed it immensely."

Kakashi nodded, flexing his wrist but not letting his discomfort show. He'd be lucky if he only sprained the wrist and not broken it, all of his weight sliding under him as he had. He formed a fist and relaxed his hand once to conclude that he was probably very lucky – the pain was already a steady burning ache, not a searing pain that accompanied movement.

"I think you need to you're your hand looked at," Sasuke said, his cold and cocky exterior being replaced with something a kin to friendship. "It's not good to just let injuries go."

Kakashi cursed silently. Either Sasuke was egging him to quit now, or he was affected by the measly matches and sincerely saw the potential of Kakashi's new position. He decided to go with the foremost, hoping that Sasuke was that petulant.

"Very well. I'll see you boys tomorrow, same time right here. Thank you very much for toady. I'll evaluate the rest of you tomorrow. Dismissed."

-------End--------

I suck at fight scenes. I really do. I was purposefully a little less descriptive here, hoping that you guys can all use your imaginations to fill in the blanks.

I personally hate this chapter. It's bad, even for filler. But I needed the Karate team to make an appearance.

I am getting too many reviews to keep going through them all personally as much as I would love to. Unless something really stands out...we'll see. But to everyone...I updated! I am so sorry that I didn't have time. I'll make up for it NaruHina by request!

Except **Lady Nagome of the West**: Nothing in the manga says anything about Rin being dead. But for me she's dead to make Kakashi...a little less ethereal? Untill he gets his ass whooped by Itachi he comes off as way to damn skilled. I decided he needed a little pain and suffering too...a tiny weakness to make his character seem a little less like a ninja killing machine. I am sure that he as feelings of course I've read Kakashi gaiden...but he's damn good at hiding them. I am still struggling to write a 'canon' Kakashi given as little info as I have...I hope he's comming out well.


	7. Chapter 7

Cheesy filler. Why did I write this filler? I needed Kakashi to get more acquainted with the girls. Also a bit of a 'so sorry' for not updating! Kakashi background angst for all.

Naruto. Not Mine. Don't sue. Thanks. Love you!

-------Chapter Seven--------

"Late again, Hatake-san?" Sasuke grinned at his silver-haired sensei. Naruto let out a distressed cry from the back of the room. "That's ramen bowl number three that you owe me now Naruto!"

Kakashi gave his class an apologetic smile. "Oi, Naruto, I think you should stop betting. By now you should know that you will most certainly lose."

The class burst out into happy chatter at the start of a normal day. Kakashi had begun to relax around his students, and yet maintain his stern composure, and day by day the class was more and more enjoyable for students and teacher. He had been applauded by Jiraiya concerning his work with Class 12, and the change in their disciplinary records. Sasuke had stopped causing problems during lunch, the girls had included him in their gossip and even dragged him outside to have lunch with them on occasion. With much coaxing from Sakura, the most studious boys had kept him long after school with study sessions and intellectual conversations when he didn't coach the Karate team. This usually resulted in parents hunting down their children, only to be amused and quite pleased with the extra study sessions that their instructor provided time for.

What ever had sent Sasuke into a depressed rut the week before was certainly gone, and Kakashi noted a deep but competitive friendship between the Uchiha boy and the loud, boisterous and rowdy Naruto. Lee had tried to get into class discussions, Ino paid more attention in class (and still got stunning marks), and Chouji had been respectful and had ceased snacking in the class room (a first, he heard).

"Well, I think that it would be a good time to take a day off," Kakashi grinned. It was true – The Friday before had been the big section 1 Tale of Two Cities test, and many students had taken the first round of standardized tests that weekend, including the SATs. Monday had been interrupted by an assembly held by Jiraiya concerning graduation requirements and registration for the next semester. It had been quite stressful for his class, and when he made the suggestion to Jiraiya, he beamed and endorsed it completely.

"Here we go, get out the calculators boys," Shikamaru waved from his lazed position. "It's time to study permutations!" He was referring to the outlandish jokes Kakashi had used to try to get them excited about their least favorite subject.

"If you do, you have detention with Iruka-sensei." Kakashi laughed. "I'm serious. You guys deserve a break."

"Who are you and what did you do with Hatake-san!" Kiba shouted. Naruto hollered and slapped the desk in his excitement. "Like we'd fall for that one!"

Kakashi shrugged. "Well, I was thinking that it's a nice day, and we can go over to the park and relax a bit. Maybe practice some sketching? Read by the water? Get sno-cones or ice cream?"

The entire class was silent. Kakashi knew that they would react like this. He had been beefing them up all week for a treat. Yura-san, the secretary, had let him know not so subtly that Class 12 was known for being bullies, and weaseled their way around just about everything. That the class was participating, cooperating, and – for once – not skirting their academic studies had shocked the entire foundation of the Academy. There was also rumor that Jiraiya was petitioning for a pay raise.

Kakashi stepped towards the door and paused with his hand on the door knob. "Then I think I will go bask in the sun without you. I'm sure my soon-to-be-perfect tan will make everyone jealous." Now that had hit the ladies.

The girls all jumped up and began calling him on his bet. The boys grabbed their bags and stood to follow suit. "We all need to stay together as a group guys, technically we are still in school!" Kakashi lilted, more than happy to see his students cheerful and carefree. This he had seen out of them rarely, even during recess and lunch hours.

The followed their instructor loudly and playfully as they walked the short few blocks to the quiet park. They had been amazed when Jiraiya stood waiting by the gate with the key just to let them out waiving them good bye and wishing them a great day.

Many of the boys had set off to do their own things. Shikamaru found a shady spot under a tree and proceeded to take a nap. Chouji and Kiba wandered off towards the concession stand. Many of the Karate team boys, including Naruto, engaged in friendly sparing. Kakashi had settled himself under a rather large tree overlooking his class and part of the pond right beside a quaint little bridge. The girls, not interested in any other aspects of the day, settled around him. They were content with his silent strength, and usually coveted him forever it which ever chance they got.

He had gotten to know each of them fairly intimately thanks to their gossip in his presence. He knew that Ino and Shikamaru had a little fling going, they had been on a date once or twice. Sakura and Naruto were quite close as friends, and apparently her friendship with the loud golden boy had mad many of her friends edgy. Sasuke was adored by everyone, save Hinata who seemed to have eyes for Naruto. Chieko and Maya were actually cousins, their mothers' were actually twin sisters. Chieko seemed to have a ting for Kiba since they both owned and loved their dogs, and Maya was really a bigger wallflower than Hinata. He didn't know too much about TenTen, other than that she had once gone on a blind date with Rock Lee.

That day had been no different – the girls started with the latest gossip: Ino and Shikamaru's date after their SATs. "Yea, we had hibachi and then we saw a movie downtown. It was great – his dad let him have the car and we drove around and talked forever. It was a great finish to a really stressful day."

"So, is he your _boyfriend_ yet?" TenTen teased.

"Well…I guess. We got out a lot."

"Just because you go out doesn't mean that you're together. You're just dating. You can see people without being romantically involved, just romantically interested." Kakashi interjected.

"Yea…what he said!" Ino blushed. "Romantically interested, not romantically involved!"

"You date people that you are romantically interested in to see if they are compatible and find out weather or not you really want to be romantically involved. Commitment is nothing that you should take lightly, in life or in love." Kakashi drawled, without thinking.

"Do you have a girlfriend, Hatake-san?" Hinata's innocent question had caught the entire group off guard.

Hinata lowered her eyes and folded her hands in her lap as Kakashi's expression hardened. "I-I-I'm sorry! I d-d-didn't mean to – you know…I didn't mean to intrude!" She finally stuttered.

Kakashi shook his head, a sad smile on his lips. "It was a long time ago, and it's not your fault. I actually feel bad. I know so much about all of you, and yet you know nothing about me."

"It's ok, really." Sakura soothed him. "You don't have to tell us if you don't want to."

Ino glared at her.

Kakashi smiled softly. "It's alright. I don't really have anyone to talk to, save my dog Pakkun, and he can really only offer so much advice."

"What was she like? I bet she had to be like a geisha – incredibly beautiful with all the patience in the world." Chieko sighed. "No other woman would do, Hatake-san is so hard to be with!"

All the girls shrieked and giggled. "On the contrary, she was very beautiful and certainly not patient. She would constantly bicker with me, reprimand me for any stupid thing, with a fiery temper that mad me think twice before crossing her. She was an incredible woman." He recollected. "Peaceful and pessimistic all in the same flesh. She would have been a great doctor one day."

"Would have been? What happened?" Ino asked.

Kakashi dropped his eyes to the ground. Great, how was he going to get around explaining everything to them without lying? He hated lying – even though the truth was more dangerous than the lie, the lie was still a lie. The girls didn't have to know that Rin was worried about him and his friends and followed him out on a sting one night. No one was in need of the knowledge that Obito had died to save her from harm, and that it had been Rin herself who had conducted and oversaw the surgery to replace Kakashi's blinded left eye with Obito's blood red one. She later had been killed in a riot after being lured out by the Yakuza boss in a vain attempt to give medical attention to their teacher, Kazuma Yondaime, and killed shortly thereafter.

"It was an accident. She was a nurse, not really a doctor yet, interning at a hospital." He began. "She couldn't stand the thought of anyone hurt, so when he heard about a dying woman across town she jumped in with the paramedics to do her part. On the way they collided with a drunken driver…she was thrown from the ambulance and died instantly. She never felt any pain." Kakashi felt his voice catch, and knew that she had died slowly and painfully, and would never forget any of that night where the rest of his loved ones had been ripped from his life painfully.

All of the girls were silent. A tear ran down Sakura's face. "Hatake-san, I am so sorry! I…I don't know what to say."

Kakashi smiled softly through his own sadness. He reached out and gently wiped away Sakura's tears, tilting her chin up to meet his face. "It's long in the past, and we can't dwell on what we can do nothing about. I loved Rin – and I know that she would not want me to mourn her and be sad for her. And so I try not to. But it's hard."

Sakura nodded deftly, tears still running down her face. "See? You are just like everyone else!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to be different?"

Sakura rubbed the rest of her tears away with her hands. "Well, you always act so unattached. You give all of your free time to us and the Karate team. We never see you outside of school. It's almost like you don't have anything else."

Kakashi debated his next statement. "In a way, I don't have any one left. My parents died long ago and the rest of my family didn't really want me, they never approved of my father. My best friend and my only love died, along with my role model. It's hard to keep going after something like that. But my students are what keep me going. Seeing you guys go off and grow and graduate – my own teacher never lived to see me graduate. It's the least I can give my students."

"Hatake-san, that's so sad!" TenTen bawled, falling over into Ino's lap. The lanky blonde stroked the ebony beauty's hair, soothing her as best as she could amidst her own sorrow.

"That's going to stop." Kakashi smiled. "At my old school, I made friends out of my students. I want you to call me Kakashi-sensei. Hatake-san makes me sound too old."

"But you ARE old!" Chieko countered. "You've got grey hair!"

Kakashi chuckled. "How old do you think I am?"

"_Old_." She stated sourly.

"A number?" He asked.

"50," Ino barked. Kakashi shook his head.

"Higher or lower?" Hinata chirped.

"Lower," Kakashi breathed. He watched their jaws' drop.

"45," TenTen sniffled.

"Lower,"

"40?"

"Lower!"

"30."

Kakashi turned to blink at Sakura. "Well…after my birthday last month…close. 29."

"No way!" Ino exclaimed. "How do you have grey hair?"

Kakashi shrugged and ran his fingers through the spiky mess. "It's always been that way. My father before me also had a full head of grey hair. If you look close, it's not really grey."

Ino leaned forward to yank his head down, examining his crown. "Hey, he's right! It's kinda…silvery!"

The girls continued to paw through his hair. "It's so soft!" Hinata crooned. "I would _kill_ to have my hair bounce back like that!" Sakura pouted. "Not a single split end or fried follicle! It's ungodly!" Ino exclaimed, almost disgusted. The girls all broke out into giggles.

Kakashi finally had his head released and sat up straighter, over looking his class. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the day, and for that he was glad. If all of his days were that peaceful, she supposed life could go back to normal.

-------End--------

Yes, more fluff than the first filler. This one is completely and totally a filler. I just needed get to past a plot bunny, since I realized I was jumping right into my plot and Kakashi's growing fondness for his students. I needed something to show that he was getting aquainted with them, so that it didn't look so abrupt, beacuse it's not. So what if it sucks. I can churn out one crappy chapter right?


	8. Chapter 8

Very long I apologize…but splitting up the beginnings of some KakaSaku seems cruel and just…fundamentally wrong! It's innocent, and a little character dev. here. Enjoy.

-------Chapter Eight--------

Kakashi sighed, wrapping the towel around his neck and gathering his things to leave. The Karate team was showing improvement, yes, but many boys – Sasuke and Naruto especially – seemed too intent on beating each other to worry about upcoming competition. Friendly rivalry and sparring he was not opposed to, but a full-blown battle of the muscle and gut? Sometimes the two took it a bit far.

"Kakashi-sensei?" A small voice called from the gymnasium door. Kakashi felt himself startle a bit, surprised for a moment that he was not the only person left in the school.

He looked up to see Sakura standing in the doorway, wearing the customary winter uniform of a pleated skit and blazer. Her emerald eyes glanced at him hopefully, if not a bit anxious. "Ah, Sakura." He waved. "You are still here?"

The pink haired honor student took a step in the door, resting a hand on the doorjamb behind her. "Hai, I was finishing up some fliers for the winter festival. I wasn't sure if practice was out or not."

Kakashi smiled, gripping his bag and walking towards her. "Well, I let them out early today; it didn't seem like such a good day to teach them new things. What are you up to? It's late – can I walk you home?"

Sakura tried in vain to hide her surprise at the offer, but she was a horrible actor through and through. Kakashi in return tried to hide the smile that threatened to bubble up from the surface. He stopped just in front of her, waiting for her response.

"Ah, well…I…you see…" she started, only to be interrupted by the vocal growling of her stomach. Her free hand flew from the door to her mid section, looking rather mortified at the unlady-like response of her body. Kakashi laughed. "After I get you something to eat, that is. You have a bad habit of skipping your lunch period."

Sakura shyly nodded. "I do work for Student Council." She said, trying to justify her routine with a blasé excuse. Kakashi gently shooed her out the door and towards the gate. "Yes, but you need your energy like everyone else. Don't tell me that you think you eat too much?"

"No, I don't eat too much!" She huffed, upset at the implication of such a thing, especially when being fat was definitely frowned up in a collection of geniuses alike. "I'm just busy, that's all."

"Ah, as am I, but I still have my lunch." Kakashi drawled, stopping once they stepped past the boundaries of the school gates. He took a glance up each side of the road. "What would you like to eat? There are plenty of restaurants near here."

Sakura shrugged. "Anywhere, really. I am not too picky about what I eat."

"You mean that you aren't allergic to shellfish like Hinata?" Kakashi teased.

"And I am not afraid of them either!" Sakura giggled.

"Thai food?"

"Too spicy."

"I though that you weren't picky?" Kakashi hid a smile from his student by turning his head.

"I'm not! I just don't feel like anything spicy. How about that new diner that just opened up? A burger and fries is cheaper anyway." She said, pushing a strand of pink hair from her eyes. Kakashi found the action rather cute and fitting to her personality.

"Cheap is not the issue – your waistline is." He teased. Sakura playfully poked him in the side. "I'm worried that I will bankrupt you and your pathetic teacher's salary on trying to satisfy this." Sakura waved at her body.

"I'll decide the fate of my finances. But if you wish it, then the diner is where we shall go. Lead the way." Kakashi stepped back and motioned with his arm to give her the lead. She gave him a quizzical look but began walking.

"Why is someone like you teaching?" Sakura asked candidly.

"Does it strike you as odd?" Kakashi retorted.

"Yes and no. I mean, you said yourself that you are very lonely. Why aren't you in the armed forces or something like that?"

"I decided that I could put my talents to use in other places. I was in boot camp for a semester before coming back here to Konoha. It was just not something that I thought I would enjoy doing, killing people and spying and such. Living every day to kill others before they kill you just didn't appeal to me." Kakashi swallowed, hoping that she didn't press the issue any further. "When I got back I started my internship with my sensei, Yondaime."

"You never had anyone else? Your family never really calls, do they?"

Kakashi sighed. "It's complicated. There have been interests here and there yes, but nothing committed. My family is really something of an enigma to me – I never meant much to them and those that still walk this Earth don't mean much to me. Call me cold, but that's how it is. You try not to find feelings for those who leave you on the street."

"They can't be that mean." Sakura said, lightly stepping out of the way of a puddle before falling back to his side. "Is that all just because they didn't like your dad?"

"Mostly, yes." Kakashi sighed. "That was when I tried hard to get into Konoha, living in the dorms so that they wouldn't have to be burdened with me. I made it in the sixth grade you know. And I graduated as well, with top honors."

Sakura giggled. "Top honors. I heard. You're kind of infamous now that we know you were once quite famous." She paused, pointing. "We're here."

They entered and were seated immediately in a small booth near the back. The hostess took their drink orders and left their menus, scurrying off to fulfill her duties.

"What about you, Sakura? You live with your parents?"

"Yes, I live with both of my parents. I am by myself a lot, mom works nights and dad travels a lot for work." She flipped through the menu.

"That's rather lonely. Do you hang out with your friends after school?"

"Sometimes. On the weekends with Ino when he isn't with Shikamaru, I've spent the night at Hinata's once or twice. I mostly like to stay home and read." Sakura folded her menu, setting it down before her, Kakashi doing the same.

The waitress brought their drinks and took their orders with lightning speed, and after leaving with their menus; the pair was left alone again with a pregnant silence.

Kakashi took a sip of his iced tea. Idle conversation was not one of his favorite ways to pass time, nor was it something her was particularly skilled at constructing. "Do you have any hobbies?"

Sakura giggled. "That's like asking me if I have a _boyfriend_."

"You can answer either or both of the questions." Kakashi smiled over the rim of his glass.

"I read as a hobby, and I don't have a boyfriend." She said simply. "Too much work if you ask me. I have to make myself happy, get through school, do all this stuff for Honor Council…and then I have to make someone else happy?"

"It shouldn't be a chore. It should just come naturally."

Sakura sighed. "I'm not even sure I'm happy with myself – how can I be happy with another person?"

Kakashi let out a hearty laugh. Sakura glared at him. "What's so funny?"

Kakashi shook his head, giving his pink-haired student a tender smile. "Listen to you. You're what, sixteen? You're thinking like you're a miserably married twenty something. Have you ever even _had_ a boyfriend?"

Sakura looked a little sheepish. "No, I don't think my parents would let me date really. Well, my mom is cool but I'm always daddy's little girl. He, of course, wouldn't be happy with it."

"Father's are always protective of their daughters – to them, it's almost like they have been protecting a frail emotional creature for so long that they lose face when that little soul is big enough to protect her self." Kakashi said.

Sakura giggled. "I see that, especially with my dad. But you're not a parent – or are you?"

"No, I don't have children. I've never even been married. But I've had friends who did have children. I was always the person to go to when things were rough, when someone needed a talk." Kakashi said. "It opens your eyes to entirely different perspectives."

The waitress dropped their food in front of them. Kakashi was very hungry that afternoon – well, night now. He noticed the sun dropping below the horizon out the window. His huge patty melt with a rivaling mound of french fries called to him. He looked over at Sakura for a moment.

Her meal was a simple sandwich and a small salad. There were no condiments used, and very little dressing on the salad. His eyes drifted to her diet coke. "Sakura." He stated.

"Kakashi." She shot back playfully.

"What are you eating?"

"This is what I am eating."

"What kind of sustenance is that?" He pointed to the salad.

"It's good for you."

"It's useless."

"I like lettuce."

Kakashi rubbed his chin, reaching for the ketchup. "You are definitely not fat. You shouldn't have to worry about what you are eating."

Sakura's eyes glinted like polished steel. "I don't like fried food. And of course I am not fat! Why do you care?"

Kakashi felt a twinge of pain shoot through his chest. He was about to give a lecture on why exactly he did care – but caught himself. "Sakura," He began slowly, gently. "I understand that I am not in the greatest of positions to lecture you, but with your activity level and your habit of skipping meals you really should be eating something higher in protein."

Sakura shrugged. "Kakashi, I am fine. I'm not that hungry, and I don't want to gorge myself."

He nodded in understanding, but was not satisfied with her answer. "Ah, I see."

After their meal, the waitress prompted for dessert and left their check. He neatly intercepted the piece of paper before his roseate student could swipe it. "Oh no, you have better things you could be spending your money on. This one is on me."

"Kakashi sensei, that's really nice of you, but please let me pay for my own meal. It's not that big of a deal." She already had her Hello Kitty wallet poised and ready.

Kakashi shook his head, reaching for his own wallet and extracting his check card. He rarely had any need to spend money, and not often if ever did he eat out, so picking up the check was a treat to him self as well as to her.

"That's so mean," She huffed.

"It's a thank you for helping me out after class with our study sessions and running little errands for me."

"You thank me enough by keeping me out of some other mundane activities." Sakura said. "Like Academic Games- a competition consisting of who knows more silly facts or memorized more grammar rules? No thanks."

Kakashi smiled. "Or you want to stay away from Iruka-sensei. He's not so bad. He's just a mother hen."

Sakura huffed again. "I don't need another mother."

The waitress came by and took Kakashi's card and their check. Sakura cried out in indignation. "That was uncalled for! I didn't even get to pay her!"

"Sakura, really. It's all right. Go buy yourself a new book to read tomorrow. My treat." Kakashi said, hoping that he had hit a nerve.

"I don't need to buy when I have the library," She retorted. "But I like to pay for my own meal."

"You aren't going to win." He said smugly. The waitress returned with his card and copies of the bill. He pulled out a pen to sign one – and Sakura snatched the other away from him. Kakashi sighed. "Sakura," He said slowly.

He watched her pull some bills from her wallet and count them. Then she dug for change. She was counting…and recounting…and counted yet again.

"How much do you have?" He asked.

"Shut up," She mumbled. "About six dollars and forty two cents."

"Sakura, save your money." He said, slipping his card into his wallet and leaving his signed check at the edge of the table. "You can't cover your end of the bill anyway. Don't worry about it!"

Sakura grabbed her bag, threw her wallet somewhere inside of it amidst her school books, and made for the door. Kakashi grabbed his bag and jacket and quickly made after her, smiling at the waitress as they scurried out.

He caught up with Sakura easily. "Why does it bruise your pride so much to let a gentleman treat you to dinner in thanks? At this show I know now why you have decided that dating is too much work."

Sakura looked up at him, her expression unreadable. "I don't like being dependant."

"I don't think that you are dependent on me. I am your teacher Sakura. It's my job to foster and encourage you, not to do it all for you." Kakashi ran his fingers back through his silvery mane.

"God, I hate it when you are right. You're always right!" She laughed. "I'll get over it."

"What time do you need to be home?" He asked, looking at his watch.

"I'm usually out until ten when mom gets home, but she works half a shift today so I really should be home at around eight."

Kakashi looked a bit worried. "Sakura, it's nine thirty."

Sakura shrugged. "It'll be okay. It's not like I'm off by myself and getting drunk or something. Mom will understand."

They turned down the next street and to an old apartment complex. Aged but not rundown, it was a quaint building with a lot of history. Sakura turned around to face Kakashi, looking up at him expectantly. "Well, here-"

"_Sakura!_" a shrill voice rang out from a window.

Said cherry blossom winced, and hung her head. "Mom didn't find my note again." She mumbled. Soon an older, plumper version of the pink haired girl came flying out the door. "Where have you been!"

"Mom, I left you a note saying I would be at school late with Student Council. And besides, Hatake-sensei wanted to make sure I was okay, so he bought me dinner and walked me home."

The older woman sighed at her daughter. Then she looked up at Kakashi. She seemed a little taken aback by his mismatched features and his scarred eye – he was certainly used to the first impression that his red eye gave him – but he smiled and dipped his head towards her.

"My apologies, Haruno-san, for having her home so late. But she has a habit of skipping lunch and I was worried that she wasn't eating enough. I am her homeroom teacher, Hatake Kakashi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She reached out her hand and they shook on it. The woman seemed to be put at ease. "I appreciate you taking care of my daughter. She usually skips meals to work or read something."

"It was the least I could do for one of my best students. She's been very helpful in my settling in." Kakashi looked up at the stars. "I should get going; she should be in bed soon. Good evening, Haruno-san. I'll see you tomorrow in class, Sakura." With that Kakashi gave the pair a smile and turned to walk back the way he came.

-------------------------

Very special thanks to my first beta, Hashra, for helping me with this chapter. The dialogue is a bit much compared to what else I have for the chapter and I got side-tracked by myself again.


	9. Chapter 9

I know I promised to update looks at profile October but I've been a bit…busy? Enjoy!

-------Chapter Nine--------

"Kakashi-sensei! _You're only 6 minutes late_!"

Kakashi sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Hai, Naruto-kun. I'm afraid I simply overslept again…"

"Pay up, Naruto!" Gaara deadpanned, extending a hand in the sunny boy's direction. Naruto grumbled and pulled a wad of bills from his pocket, tossing them at the other boy.

"That'll teach you all to make bets against me," Kakashi said.

"Next time, make it _at least_ half an hour. I'm losing money on you." He said sullenly.

Kakashi dropped his bag onto the floor beside his desk and grinned sheepishly at his class. "At least I'm being consistent in my respective fallacies, else I'm afraid I'd be out of a job. If I make a habit of being late…no one will suspect a thing!"

Shikamaru face faulted. "I think that was the _worst_ excuse for being lazy I have ever heard!"

"And 'I can't be bothered' or 'it's too troublesome!' are better excuses!" Ino shouted.

"Never stand up a girl, check." Neji smirked.

"Oye oye!" Shikamaru drawled. "That's enough."

A beep sounded over the microphone box above Kakashi's desk at the head of the room. "Hatake-san?"

Kakashi sighed. "Yes, Maiko?" He addressed the main secretary by her first name, as they were on such good terms.

"I've been told to notify you that you are requested in the staff room immediately for a morning meeting, and all classes are to report to the track bleachers until next period." Maiko said.

"Might that be where my missing students are?" Kakashi asked, as few heads being absent had not escaped his attention that morning.

"I don't presume to know," Maiko said. "I'm sure that they aren't wrecking havoc, though."

"Thank you, Maiko. I'll be there as soon as possible." Kakashi drawled and turned back to his class. "That means you all go to the bleachers, and don't make detours to the cafeteria, the snack machines, the bathrooms, the dressing rooms, or the gym. Understood?"

Chouji, Ino, and Lee all groaned in defeat. Slowly students shuffled from the rooms towards the fields outside. Seeing them off with a wave outside of the building, Kakashi made haste to the registration building.

Upon entering, the mood was solemn. Maiko was setting up the beverage service in the corner, and Kakashi nodded at her as opposed to his customary smile, seeing it to be not the time or place. Jiraiya was sitting at the head of the conference table, minus his famous dirty book. A few other staff members, Iruka included, were struggling to retain what litte composure they had left.

Asuna walked into the room and Maiko closed the door swiftly. Kakashi took a seat between Kurenai and Gai just as Jiraiya spoke. "I'm afraid that we may have to suspend most activities until the end of the semester."

The tense atmosphere was broken with hushed whispers of disbelief. "What for?" Iruka asked suddenly. "Competition for academic games is only a week away! The students have been waiting all year for this chance to compete."

"As long as we can't guarantee the safety of the students off of this campus, I'm afraid that we can't, Iruka-sensei." Jiraiya said.

"And why can't we do that? What happened?" Kurenai demanded.

Jiraiya sighed. Maiko swifty served everyone coffee, setting the usual condiments on the table before taking her seat beside Jiraiya. "We received a rather disturbing report from the superintendent of schools herself." Maiko started. "It seems as though there are a few spies from the government disguising themselves as students in order to uncover what they think is a guerilla military group being trained up out of our brightest students, funded by the school board."

The room was silent. Jiraiya gave Kakashi a quick look before continuing. "Tsunade-san is worried not for her job but for the safety of the students in this district. Apparently, there has been an uprising in student protest, as well as crime in select areas. Our school is so lucky to not have been hit by any such cases of violence…but we can never be to careful."

Jiraiya stood. "More information will be provided to you as we become aware of the facts. For most of the faculty, you are now free to return to you duties or your classes. For my core teachers, we'll now commence our regular attendance reports."

Uh oh was right, if Jiraiya had to dismiss most of the staff. Kakshi was aware that quite a few teachers in the school had extra curricular activities, similar to himself, but was not aware that Jiraiya had assembled most of them at no other place than Konoha Academy.

Maiko closed the door and locked it, turning on all the lights in the room before shutting the blinds of the single window tightly. Jiraiya this time stood.

"We don't have any problems in this school but we can't take any chances. I need you all to keep an eye on all of your students, call their homes, walk them home – whatever it takes to make sure that Konoha doesn't fall." Jiraiya said solemnly.

"Do you have any suspisions?" Iruka asked.

"Our number one suspect is Uchiha. His brother almost shut down Konoha years ago, and there is always angst when it comes to the name. So far as we've researched, I don't think there are any more students we need to worry for."

"I think we also need to watch over Rock Lee. His presence on the Karate team may makie him vulnerable. He is too passionate about life and my be presuaded towards evil." Akuma said. "I don't agree," Gai interjected. "Lee has never lost his focus and is loyal."

"In that case, the Sabaku siblings are all suspects since they come from on outside district. We have to watch them carefully." Kurenai suggested.

Jiraiya nodded. "All valid points. I would like all of you to oberve your students and report back to me those you think are most at risk. For now I have rejected all new transfers of students and staff. This is how it's going to be for the rest of the year I'm afraid. Remember, safety is of the upmost importance."

"Before we go," Kakashi said slowly. "I need to find Uchiha, Haruno, and the Hyuuga heir. They were all mssing from my classroom this morning."

"Ah yes, they are taking care of a few Student Council loose ends before I lock down their activities for the year. Since festival is next week it's too late to cancel, but I left it up to them to notify parents of the change this semester in event sheduling. They should return to class by second period."

With that, the bell to end first period rang.

"Alright, see you all at lunch." Jiraiya said cheerfully, before literally bounding out of the room. Back to his dirty books. Well…probably back to the dirty books.

Kakashi turned to his fellow teachers. "Can he actually do that? Cancel everything, I mean."

Kurenai shrugged. "Well, it'll be a little suspicious, but I can't see why not. He does have the ear of the school board, and they seem to do a lot of favors for each other."

Iruka sighed. "There's really no point in trying to fight this. Jiraiya thinks there is a threat. We might as well take precautions while we can. I need to be heading back to class." Slowly and with unenthusiastic agreement, they began to clear the room.

Kakashi hung behind as the teachers began to shuffle back to their respective classes. Moments after the last teacher left the room, a head full of pink tresses popped in. "Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi smiled warmly at the sight of one of the most dedicated of his students. "You need me Sakura?"

"There's a tall guy with sharingan eyes like yours and Sasuke's by the north gate. He says he needed to speak with you. Now."


	10. Chapter 10

A shorty. More Kakasaku to come, I promise!

-------Chapter Ten--------

Kakashi stopped suddenly just outside the gate of the school, his eyes darting all around to catch a glimpse of the potential demon that had summoned him. He was uneasy upon hearing of a Sharingan-eyed man on campus. The potential danger of both men being seen together were not outside of his mind – however, there was the need to protect the students of the Academy should the need arise. Kakashi stepped up to the plate.

He heard the rustle of fabric just as a man in a tall red cloak stepped from behind…well, nothing. The long blue-tinted black hair was the first identifying mark, and the dark cold Sharingan eyes were next.

"To call me out, Uchiha Itachi, what is your intent? I have nothing for you." Kakashi said.

"It's been a while, Kakashi-sensei." Itachi mocked from the shadows. "How has your return to Konoha been? Nostalgic? I've no doubt. Are your students well? Have you found your niche? How nice."

"I see that this will go no where." Kakashi said evenly, turning towards the darker man. "Why are you here? What do you intend to do? Are you working for the government?"

Itachi laughed. "You think that the government, useless corrupt institution that governs even the way you breathe, has anything to do with me? Save your suspicions for the real evil here."

Kakashi drew his snaring wire from the secret sewn-in pocket in his slacks. Itachi was hitting a nerve, and the younger man knew it. "So what is your goal, Itachi? Ruin the school board? The department of education? The government?" The blank face, devoid of any emotion, was grating ever more on the silvered teachers' patience.

"It's much simpler than that, I'm afraid. You know how they say, the gifted think with such complexity that they often can't see the simplest answer before their eyes?" Itachi smirked. Finally, a reaction. Kakashi relaxed a little in his defensive stance.

"Including your trap, Kakashi-sensei." Itachi growled, and stepped forward from the shadows. Kakashi suddenly found that he could not move, and groaned at the pressure that was suddenly bearing down upon his shoulders. He dropped his snaring wire and finally collapsed to his knees with the weight. Itachi stepped closer, and Kakashi suddenly felt the world go completely black.

Lost in Itachi's mental nightmare, Kakashi screamed and screamed. He'd heard of the Mangekyou Sharingan before but had never dreamed that the ability was real, and that Itachi could use it to trap his victims into his own personal hell.

Every stab, poke, and the million and one Itachi's that danced across his forced consciousness was enough to drive any one mad. There was no rest, for every time he wanted to just let go of his wakened state it never came. Itachi simply kept him aware, and kept up the tortures. How long had it been since he'd been sucked into the otherworld? He'd relived the nightmare more than a hundred times by now.

Finally, Itachi withdrew completely, suddenly. Kakashi was left panting, not able to stand, sit, or even really do more than simply breathe. He felt something reach for him and a hand clasped around his arm, tugging him upwards. Kakashi resisted weakly, but lack of strength kept him from a stronger fight. He let the hand pull him…

He gasped as he awoke, and briefly panicked at not recognizing his surroundings. Kakashi quickly took inventory of his body, finding no blood or scars and most heavenly no Itachi. He turned to one side and saw Jiraiya standing there, arms crossed, and he calmed. Taking a look around, he realized that he was lying on a cot in the nurses' office of the Academy.

"That was a very foolish thing you did, Hatake Kakashi." A gruff female voice came from beside his head. "I almost wasn't able to break the illusion."

Kakashi turned to see the resolute glare of none other than the superintendent Tsunade at his side. "Tsunade-sama?" He asked weakly. "What are you doing here?"

"Responding to a crisis, old friend." She replied, standing. "The Mangekyou Sharingan is a very powerful and dangerous technique. When Gai found you, he alerted Jiraiya at the presence of an Uchiha and called me when they could not wake you. You are very lucky indeed, young man."

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, raising a hand to his aching head.

"Uchiha Itachi somehow infiltrated the school during the staff meeting, and came across the student council meeting. Apparently, one of the students volunteered to announce the visitor, unbeknownst to the meeting and the new policy. You rushed to deal with Uchiha. When you did not return to your scheduled class, a few teachers went out in search. There was no sign of Uchiha, but the story unveiled itself eventually." Jiraiya said, sighing. "How could you be so stupid, Kakashi?"

Kakashi swallowed, not answering. Why did he approach Itachi? What could he have done on his own? Why did he direct Sakura to return to class and not speak a word of the encounter? The roseate student had eventually spilled her guts, and we feeling very put upon at that moment. He had to remember to apologize.

"It's no matter. Nothing we can very well do about it now. Kakashi, you will be out for the next two days to recover from Uchiha's illusionary attack. You are in no position to return to your class."

"But-" Kakashi started, and Tsunade shushed him with her finger. "No, Kakashi. You are weaker than you feel. Come back in two days and we'll continue to discuss how we'll go about this."

"He's not involved with the government. He's with some type of group that was formed, and they have some goal in mind, something involving the school. He told me that much…in the otherworld." Kakashi said softly.

Tsunade sighed and turned away. "I have my suspicions yes but for now we can't do anything about it. Uchiha Itachi is the least of our worries, I'm afraid."

Jiraiya stood and turned towards the door. "Rest well Kakashi. We'll see you back here on Wednesday." Jiraiya and Tsunade turned and walked out the door, leaving Kakashi to ponder on the cryptic phrase. Or was it cryptic at all?

Kakashi could have _sworn_ it had been Friday when everything had gone down!


End file.
